R.B. FALLSTROM
Associated Press
ST. LOUIS – Organizers seeking to make St. Louis the permanent site of the NCAA wrestling tournament got half of their wish on Thursday.
The city was awarded the event in 2008 and 2009, making it five tournaments in this decade. St. Louis previously hosted the championships in 2000, ’04 and ’05 and is the only site to get the event in consecutive years.
“This is a huge win for the St. Louis region, “said St. Louis Sports Commission vice president Chris Roseman, who led the bid process. “Getting multiple years is rare and sets St. Louis apart.”
Roseman also said the NCAA looks at St. Louis, which has the two largest attendance totals in event history, “as a model to all others “when it comes to holding a wrestling tournament. The three-day event drew 96,994 fans in 2000 and 95,459 this March.
Fred Corsi of the Savvis Center, site of the meet and a partner in the bidding committee along with the University of Missouri, called it “wrestling’s home away from home. “The event is expected to have an economic impact of $10 million each year.
The St. Louis Sports Commission bid for all four events available in the present cycle and Roseman said the city nearly got three of the four. Omaha was awarded the 2010 event and Philadelphia for 2111.
“I think they wanted to spread it out a little bit, and go to the East, “Roseman said. “But getting five events in 10 years says a lot.”
The events will give St. Louis nine NCAA championship events in this decade. The city held its first Final Four in 27 years this April, and also upcoming are the men’s Frozen Four hockey tournament in 2007 and the women’s Final Four in 2009.
St. Louis organizers sold the NCAA on the city’s central geographic location, an 11-year-old, 20,000-plus seat arena, and easy access to lodging. The next bid process for the wrestling tournament begins in 2008, giving St. Louis a built-in advantage.
The tournament has helped boost the program at Missouri, a partner in the bid process. Missouri was 11th in the tournament this year.
“Paralleling our opportunities to host has been the rising success of our own wrestling program, “Missouri assistant athletic director Sarah Reesman said. “We have come very, very far in the past few years and it’s made hosting this event that much more enjoyable.”
Coach Brian Smith said it’s been an invaluable recruiting tool. He brought two of his young wrestlers to Thursday’s announcement and news conference.
“I can tell the kids, ‘Redshirt a year and your first two years you’re going to be wrestling at home in the championships, “Smith said. “That’s a fun thing to tell them. The program’s goal is to win a national title and there’s no better place to do it than St. Louis.”
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